Forks & the Road: Chow down in Colombia

Colombia boasts an extensive culinary repertoire. The native heritage (maize, cassava, chili pepper, roots, wild game, fish), the Spanish dishes from colonial days, African ingredients that arrived with the slave trade (coconut and palm oil, tropical fruits) and the foods of immigrants from multiple countries in the 19th and 20th centuries are all part of the mix.

The Taste of Colombia book, which presents the country’s most popular recipes, cites eight distinct culinary cultural regions. You can find all of this variety on the plate in the downtown business area of Bogotá at Leo Cocina y Cava.

In an old building off a stone paved alley, Chef Leonor Espinosa recreates traditional Colombian dishes from different regions, capturing the authentic flavours while adding a modern twist and classy presentation.

My husband almost balked at the raw snail, but sliced ultra thin and served with olive oil and lemon on a bed of leek brittle, it won him over. With that success we should have tried the seared tuna medallions encrusted with Santander ants. Next time.